Improvement in bill-files



No. 222,810. A Ptented Dec. 23, 1379 a. x Y

min 033%: J In 1182215075:

\ @WMMMO W UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

FRANK W. BRAINEBD AND JOHN S. FIFIELD, OF FREEPORT, ILLINOIS.

IM PROVEMENT IN BILL- FILES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 222,810, dated December 23, 1879; application filed July 2, 1879.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, FRANK W. BRAINERD and JOHN S. FIFIELD, of Freeport, Stephenson county, State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Bill Files, of which the following is a full description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawin gs, in which- Figure 1 is a plan; Fig. 2, a bottom view,

Fig. 3, a section at line 00 x of Fig. 1; Fig. 4., a side elevation with the hooks thrown forward; Fig. 5, an end elevation of the parts shown; Fig. 6, a detail showing three views of the fastener; Fig. 7, a variation, showing a fastener made from wire.

The leading object of this invention is to so construct a bill-file that the bills or other papers, when placed on pointed standards,in the usual manner, will also pass over suitable fasteners, so that when a suitable number of papers have been placed on the file they can be removed with the fasteners; and this object is accomplished by providing grooved .standards to receive the papers andfasteners,

which can he slipped over such standards and be used in connection therewith, as hereinafter more fully described.

The invention further relates to the special construction of hooks and devices used therewith, as hereinafter fully set forth.

In. the drawings, A represents a board of any suitable size. It has a notch at one end.

, B is a metal plate secured to this board. Gis

a chamber to receive some of the devices. It is open, or partly open, at the bottom.

D D are two posts secured to the board A. Two of the sides of each post are grooved, b representing the grooves. These posts are sharp at their upper ends, a.

E is a metal paper-fastener. It is made of sheet metal. When completed, the base d has ahole, e, in it large enough to allow the same to pass over the standard or post D.

f f are two arms, bent first toward the center and then upward, as shown in Fig. 6. In Fig. 3 one of these fasteners is shown upon the post D, but not pushed quite down to place. In Fig. 4 the fastener has been removed. The fastener described is made from a single piece of sheet metal. When in place on a post the arms f f of the fastener are in the grooves b in the post.

F F are two hooks, formed by bending the ends of a single piece of wire. As shown, these hooks are beveled at their ends, so as to fit against the upper ends of the post D. This wire, on the ends of which are the hooks F, is bent as shown in Fig. 5, and at the center is a double crank, g. The upright parts h of this wire pass through open slots in the board A and through slots in the plate B. The crank g is in the chamber 0, and a portion of the horizontal part on each side of the crank is journaled in the under side of the board A, being held by plates '5, secured to the under side of A.

G is a springlooated in the chamber 0. On this spring is a projection, 11., so arranged that as the hooks F are moved backward and. forward the crank 9 passes fromone side to the other of such projection, the spring and projection serving the purpose of holding the hooks in position, either as shown in Fig. 4 or as shown in Fig. 3.

H H are two posts, the lower ends of which are secured to theboard A. Their upper ends are bent over at. right angles, as shown at in. These posts H are located about midway between the standards D and the upright parts h of the wire from which thehooks F are formed, and they serve the purpose of guides to aid in putting papers on the posts D uni formly, and also the more important purpose of preventing papers from slipping off the hooks, as more fully hereinafter stated.

The posts D can conveniently be made from round wire, properly grooved; or pieces of metal could be rolled into proper shape, being provided with'flanges to form recesses b b.

We do not limit ourselves toany special way of forming the posts or other parts of the device.

The fasteners might be made from wire bent into the form shown in Fig. 7, and when so made they can be slipped over the posts D, and the upright parts can be located in the recesses b b, as before.

The hooks F formed as described, might be used in connection with posts D, having no recesses b, and without the paper-fasteners E. The device is much more complete with the fasteners.

Either round or flat metal can be used in making fasteners of the form shown in Fig. 7.

The operation is as follows: A fastener, E, is to be placed on each of the posts D, the hooks F having been thrown back, as shown in Fig. 3. Then papers can be placed on the file in the usual manner-that is to say, upon the posts D. As the papers pass down over the posts they will also pass down over the fasteners E.

It will be understood that in placing the papers on the posts D they will be punctured. As often as papers are to be placed on these posts D the hooks F must be thrown back, as in Fig. 3. The hooks can then be returned to the position shown in Fig. 4E, and then the papers cannot escape from the posts.

If it be desired to remove a paper from the file, all the papers above the one to be removed can be thrown over onto the hooks F, the parts being in the position shown in Fig. L, Then the hooks are to be thrown back, as shown in Fig. 3, in which position the papers on the hooks F will be held securely, the hooks being inconta-ct with the parts on of the posts H. Then the paper or papers below those which have been thus placed on the uprights h can be removed. This feature, which enables us to divide the papers on the file into two parts without actually removing part of them from the file, will be found desirable iii-practice.

When a sufficient number of papers have accumulated on the file, the fasteners E, with the papers thereon, can be removed from the posts D, and the upper ends of the uprights f of the fastener can be turned over, as is customary with fasteners somewhat similar in construction, and all the papers on the fasteners will be at once and readily secured together. Other fasteners are then to be placed on the posts D, and the device can then be used as before.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. In a bill-file, the posts D, having grooves or recesses I), adapted to receive the arms f of a paper-fastener, E, substantially as specified.

2. The paper-fastener E, having an open base, in combination with the grooved or flanged posts D, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. The hooks F, made from a single piece of wire, and provided with a double crank, g, in combination with a spring, G, and posts D, substantially as specified.

4. Theposts H,in combination with the posts D and hooks F, all constructed and operating substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. In a bill-file, the spring G, provided with a projection, 12, in combination with the hooks F, formed from a single piece of wire, and having a double crank, g, at the center, substantially as specified.

FRANK W. BRAINERD. JOHN S. FIFIELD. Witnesses OrrAs. G. SANBoRN, F. F. BROWN. 

